By Nancy Hoalst-Pullen and Mark W. Patterson. Presents a guide to beer and breweries in fifteen countries around the world, describing the history of beer, favorite destinations in each country, beer festivals, and unusual breweries,

Scott Conant’s five Scarpetta restaurants all garner rave reviews, but many know Conant best from his regular appearances on Food Network shows like “Chopped” (as a frequent judge) and on Bravo’s “Top Chef.” He and his restaurants have been cited on such lists as Esquire‘s “Best New Restaurants in America.” The subject of this cookbook, Scarpetta, received a three-star review from the New York Times and there are locations in Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Toronto, all opened in just the past few years. This gorgeous book includes 125 of the restaurant’s signature dishes – Creamy Polenta with Fricassee of Truffled Mushrooms, Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil, Fennel-Dusted Black Cod – written with the goal of teaching readers to master techniques so they learn to really cook, rather than merely follow recipe steps without any thought of the hows and whys behind the method. The recipes and photography reflect the Milan-meets-Tuscany style of Scarpetta, interspersed with sidebars about everything from ingredient shopping to tips on entertaining at home.

With Food, photographer Mary McCartney brings us easy, family-friendly meat-free dishes that will appeal to everyone – including carnivores. And they’re all presented in gorgeous pictures taken by Mary herself, along with personal stories and photos old and new.

Inspired by her mother’s recipes, McCartney has whipped up creative, comforting, uncomplicated, and delicious meals that will encourage home cooks to think vegetarian. They range from savory Asparagus Summer Tart and a no-meat Shepherd’s Pie to family favorites, including Lemon Drizzle Cake and Arty’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is good, wholesome fare, cooked well and with ease, meant for family and friends to share. And Mary’s unique bold and beautifully illuminated images are as irresistible as her food.

This second cookbook from Barton Seaver – following For Cod and Country – sends the rising authority on sustainable foods to the sweet, smoky grill, where he showcases his love of fresh, organic produce, fish, beef, and poultry. Emphasizing seasonal vegetables and accompaniments as much as the protein, Seaver serves up recipes designed to celebrate the spirit of togetherness – including Wood-Grilled Snap Peas with Smoky Aioli, Grilled Pacific Halibut with Pistachio Butter, Peruvian Chicken, Chimichurri Marinated Short Ribs, and Pickled Smoked Peaches. In addition to mouthwatering dishes, Seaver gives the nitty-gritty on fueling your fire; preparation and cooking; recipes for sauces, spice mixes, and marinades; and ways to eat smartly and healthily.

Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet? In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries.

Of all the extraordinary and obscure plants that have been fermented and distilled, a few are dangerous, some are downright bizarre, and one is as ancient as dinosaurs but each represents a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history. This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.

This lush, creative cookbook celebrates the flavor and versatility of vegetables by bringing them to the center of the table in more than 80 delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes.

Too many of us let vegetables play second fiddle in meals that center on protein or carbs. For chef Matt Wilkinson, vegetables come first. He builds his dishes around vegetables that are in season, when they taste the best, are most affordable, and most readily available.

The recipes in Mr. Wilkinson’s Vegetables range from simple salads such as Brussels Sprout Leaves, Mozzarella, and Anchovies, or Roasted Cucumber, Quinoa, Freekah, and Herbs, to hearty dishes such as Soft Parmesan Polenta with Crab and Mussels, or Braised Eggplant, Tomato, and Meatballs. They also include satisfying snacks like Irene’s Tzatziki, or Smoked Tomato and Goat’s Curd Gougeres, as well as desserts, such as Carrot Cake with Grated Carrot, Preserved Lemon, Raisin, and Ginger Pickle, or Creamed Rice Pudding. While many of the 80 plus dishes will appeal to vegetarians, there are plenty that incorporate meat. In all of them, Mr. Wilkinson’s vegetables are the stars.

With beautiful photography and vintage illustrations, the book is both timely and timeless.

Nibble on Sybil’s Ginger Nut Biscuits during tea. Treat yourself to Ethel’s Beloved Crepes Suzette. Feast on Mr. Bates’ Chicken and Mushroom Pie with a room full of guests. With this collection of delicacies inspired by Emmy Award-winning series “Downton Abbey,” you’ll feel as sophisticated and poised as the men and women of Downton when you prepare these upstairs and downstairs favorites. Each dish finds its roots within the kitchen of the grand estate, including: Mrs. Isobel Crawley’s Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches, Filet Mignon with Foie Gras and Truffle Sauce, Walnut and Celery Salad with Pecorino, Decadent Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Icing, Very Vanilla Rice Pudding… You will love indulging in the splendors of another era with the snacks, entrees, and desserts from this masterpiece of a cookbook.

Since prehistory, humans have braved sharp knives, fire, and grindstones to transform raw ingredients into something delicious – or at least edible. Tools shape what we eat, but they have also transformed how we consume, and how we think about, our food. Technology in the kitchen does not just mean the Pacojets and sous-vide of the modernist kitchen. It can also mean the humbler tools of everyday cooking and eating: a wooden spoon and a skillet, chopsticks and forks.

In Consider the Fork, award-winning food writer Bee Wilson provides a wonderful and witty tour of the evolution of cooking around the world, revealing the hidden history of everyday objects we often take for granted. Knives – perhaps our most important gastronomic tool – predate the discovery of fire, whereas the fork endured centuries of ridicule before gaining widespread acceptance; pots and pans have been around for millennia, while plates are a relatively recent invention. Many once-new technologies have become essential elements of any well-stocked kitchen – mortars and pestles, serrated knives, stainless steel pots, refrigerators. Others have proved only passing fancies, or were supplanted by better technologies; one would be hard pressed now to find a water-powered egg whisk, a magnet-operated spit roaster, a cider owl, or a turnspit dog. Although many tools have disappeared from the modern kitchen, they have left us with traditions, tastes, and even physical characteristics that we would never have possessed otherwise.

Blending history, science, and anthropology, Wilson reveals how our culinary tools and tricks came to be, and how their influence has shaped modern food culture. The story of how we have tamed fire and ice and wielded whisks, spoons, and graters, all for the sake of putting food in our mouths, Consider the Fork is truly a book to savor.